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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. court — of a king
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. perch — the fish
  6. game — a match
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. rule — a law
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. wound — an injury
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. chip — for betting
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. game — wild animals
  19. wound — an injury
  20. court — of law
  21. bear — the animal
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. court — for sport
  24. rule — government

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com